Dam.



H. L. COOPER.

DAM.

APPLIOATIOH FILED 00T.19. 1909.

968, 1 30, Patented Aug. 23, 1910 wi/lmmm ml IDIIII rrrln cv..illlllllml. n c.

HUGH L. COOPER, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT.

DAM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 23,1910.

Application filed October 19, 1909. Serial No. 523,537.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH L. COOPER, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Stamford, county of Fairfield, and State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Dams, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to dams and has for its object the constructionof dams, especially those depending for stability mainly upon any forcesor combinations of forces other than their own weight, such as archeddams, in such manner that water may flow over the top or from thedown-stream side of the dam and be carried to and delivered at a pointor place away from the dam, preferably on the down-stream side, withoutmaterial injury to the dam, and that the other advantages hereinafterdescribed may be secured.

Referring to the drawing forming part of this specification, Figure 1 isan elevation, partly broken away, of an arched dam constructed inaccordance with this invention, as viewed from the down-stream side ofthe dam. Fig. 2 is a plan view, likewise partly broken away, of the damshown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the dam shown in Figs.1 and 2, made as indicated by the line ac a in Fig. 2. The arrow in Fig.2 shows the direction of the view in Fig. 3.

In the figures of the drawing like letters denote like parts.

A is the bed of the river or other body of water across which the dam isconstructed.

B is the body of the dam, shown as made of masonry, extending from sideto side of the river or other body of water and shown in the drawings asan arched dam. The body B of the dam may, if desired, be provided at itstop with projections 6 Z) forming an opening C for the flow therethroughof the water passing over the top of the dam.

D is a duct shown in the drawings as an apron adjusted at one end to thedam where the water flows over the top of the dam, as at the opening C,and extending at the other end to a point or place on the down-streamside of the dam away from the base and foundation of the dam. The duct Dmay be made of any suitable form and material, but, preferably, itshould be in the form of an apron, as shown, and, preferably, of hardmaterial such as steel, at least so far as the surface over which thewater flows is concerned, the better to withstand the abrasion of theflowing water- As shown in the drawing, the duct D is not an integralpart or solid extension of the body B of the dam, but is, preferably andas shown, a separate or independent construction. The duct D may, asstated, be made in the form of an apron as shown in the drawing. Theapron supported below by suitable supports G of masonry, as shown, or oftimber, metal or other suitable material. The apron may be provided withguide-rims e 0 extending upwardly and along its sides to control theflow of the water. The guide-rims e 6 may be formed, as shown, byextending upwardly two of the supports In Fig. 3 the sheet E of theapron D is shown as curved to conform to the contour of theunder-surface of a sheet of water as such contour would be if the waterwere flowing with great speed over the body B of the dam without thepresence of the duct or apron D. Masonry I should, preferably, extendalong the bottom of the stream on the clown-stream side of the dam fromthe clotted line shown in Fig. 3 at the base of the dam to the lower endof the duct or apron D, to prevent the water delivered by the duct fromwearing away and undermining the bed of the stream and base of the dam.

From the foregoing description the advantages secured by theconstruction of dams in accordance with the invention will readily beunderstood by those skilled in the art to which the inventionappertains. Dams, such as arched dams, depending for stability mainlyupon any forces or combination of forces other than their own weight,have been constructed with a base and body that is narrow compared withthe height of the dam, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Such arched dams dependmainly for their sta bility upon the support accorded thereto on thedown-stream side by the banks of the river or other body of wateragainst which the sides of the arched dam press, as shown in Fig. 1. Asa result of the construction of such dams in the manner described, thesurface or wall of the dam on the up-stream side is perpendicular ornearly perpendicular and the surface or wall of the dam on thedown-stream side has at most but slight inclination from theperpendicular. If water were permitted to flow from the top of such anarched dam and fall for any considerable distance to the foot of the damon the downstream side, the falling water would, by reason of its weightand velocity, wear away and undermine the base and foundation of the damand in time destroy the dam. For this reason it has not heretofore beenpracticable to permit water to flow over the top of such an arched damand in order to lead away the surplus water accumulated by the dam,resort has been had to spill-ways of diflicult or expensive constructionleading from the upstream side of the dam to some desired point ofdelivery. According to my invention, by the use of the duct or apron D,water may be permitted to flow over the top or from the down-stream sideof the dam, including arched and similar dams, Without injury to thebase, foundation or other part of the dam, since by means of the duct orapron the water is carried to and delivered at a point or place at suchdistance from the base or foundation of the dam that no injury canresult thereto. By constructing the duct D as a separate construction,in the form, for example, of an apron, as shown in the drawing, and notas an integral part or solid extension of the dam, great economy inmaterial and labor is secured in addition to the element of safety abovedescribed. Furthermore, it frequently happens that when water ispermitted to flow over the top of a dam and fall against or in proximityto the downstream side of the dam, a vacuum will be created betwen theunder-surface of the water and the wall of the dam, due to an increasein the volume and velocity of the flowing water or other eflicientcause. The creation of such a vacuum on the downstream side of the damobviously threatens the integrity of the dam, since the resistance ofthe dam to the pressure of the water on the up-stream side is therebymaterially lessened. By the use of the duct or apron D in a damconstructed in accordance with my invention, the danger of the creationof such a vacuum is obviated.

In the drawing forming part of this specification I have shown myinvention embodied in an arched dam, but it is also applicable to damsof other construction and is not limited to dams depending for theirstability mainly on any forces or combination of forces other than theirown weight. My invent-ion is as broad as my claims.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A dam provided with a duct to carry off water fromthe dam, said duct comprising a structure independent of and not anintegral part of the dam structure proper or the walls thereof andextending from the down-stream side of the dam in a direction away fromthe dam a distance sufficient to carry and deliver water at a placesufliciently removed from the dam to prevent material injury theretofrom the water so carried and delivered, substantially as described.

2. A dam provided with a duct to carry off water from the dam, said ductcomprising a structure independent of and not an integral part of thedam structure proper or the walls thereof and extending from the top andfrom the down-stream side of the dam in a direction away from the dam adistance suflicient to carry and deliver Water at a place suflicientlyremoved from the dam to prevent material injury thereto from the waterso carried and delivered, substantially as described.

3. A dam depending for stability mainly upon forces other than its ownweight, provided with a duct to carry off water from the dam, said ductcomprising a structure independent of and not an integral part of thedam structure proper or the walls thereof and extending from thedown-stream side of the dam, substantially as described.

a. An arched dam, provided with a duct to carry off water from the dam,said duct comprising a structure independent of and not an integral partof the dam structure proper or the walls thereof and extending from thedown-stream side of the dam, substantially as described.

5. A dam depending for stability mainly upon forces other than its ownweight, pro vided with an apron of hard metal to carry off water fromthe dam, said apron comprising a structure independent of and not anintegral part of the dam structure proper or the walls thereof andextending from the down-stream side of the dam, substantially asdescribed.

6. An arched dam, provided with an apron of hard metal to carry offwater from the dam, said apron comprising a structure independent of andnot an integral part of the dam structure proper or the walls thereofand extending from the down-stream side of the dam, substantially asdescribed.

7. A dam depending for stability mainly upon forces other than its ownweight, provided with a duct to carry off water from the dam, said ductcomprising a structure independent of and not an integral part of thedam structure or the walls thereof proper and extending from thedown-stream side of the dam in a direction away from the dam a distancesufiicient to carry and deliver water at a place sufliciently removedfrom the dam to prevent material injury thereto from the Water socarried and delivered, substantially as described.

8. An arched dam, provided with a duct to carry off water from the dam,said duct comprising a structure independent of and not an integral partof the dam structure proper or the Walls thereof and extending from thedownstream side of the dam in a direction away from the dam a distancesufficient to carry and deliver Water at a place sufiiciently removedfrom the dam to prevent material injury thereto from the Water socarried and delivered, substantially as described.

HUGH L. COOPER.

lVitnesses:

Y. K. ALLEN, B. H. PARSONS.

